US2227229A - Trolley harp - Google Patents

Description

B. R. REED TROLLEY'HAHP Dec. 31, 1940.

Filed Feb. 6, 1939 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 31, 1940 imirso STATES PATENT'OFFICE Buckley R. Reed, Longacre, W. ApplicationFebruary 6, 1939, Serial No. 254,362

3 Claims.

My invention relates totrolley harps.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a trolley harp that is adapted to assure a good electrical contact regardless of the angle that the trolley pole assumes.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a trolley harpthat is particularly adapted to be used when the current supply Wire is close to the ground, as in coal mines and similar places.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a trolley harp, the unique construction of which will materially increase the life of the harp.

. Still another object of my invention is the provision of a trolley harp that is simple in construction, efiicient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will beapparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, and showing its association with a trolley pole,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective View of the yoke and collector rings, embodying a part of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l0 designates an electrically conducting wire with which my device is adapted to cooperate to transmit the current therefrom to the motor. and appurtenances of the trolley or mine locomotive. The trolley pole I2 terminates in a substantially wedge shaped end l3 which is embraced by the bifurcations l4 and [5 of the head IS. The head I6 is held firmly to the pole I2 by means of the transversely extending bolt ll. Extending angularly from the bifurcations I4 and I5 is a substantially cylindrical portion l8 formed with upper and lower flanges I9 and 2B and having an opening 22 therebetween extending through the front wall thereof and communicating with the vertical bore 23.

Pivotally mounted in the bore 23 is a yoke 24 formed with a substantially circular base 25 having the knob 26 integrally formed on its upper surface. Depending centrally from the base is a reduced cylindrical portion 2'! provided with a 5 vertical bore 28 which receives the bolt 29. The bolt 29 extends beyond the plane of the lower portion of the head I6 and carries in abutting relation thereto the washer 30 of substantially greater diameter than the bore 28. The lock nut 3| and cotter pin 32 maintain the yoke 24 pivotally secured to the head 16. The bore 28 is provided with a substantially larger annular recess 33 substantially centrally of the cylindrical bore 21 and the segmental opening 33 is adapted to register with the opening 22 in the head I6. A coil spring 34 is carried by the bolt 29 within the annular recess 33 and has outwardly extending ends 35 and 36 adapted to engage the side walls of openings 33 and 22 and to exert a steadying action on the yoke 24 to normally position the same in horizontal alignment with the pole 12 but permitting a pivotal movement thereof against the resilient action of the spring 34. The base 25 of the yoke 24 is formed with arms 31 and 38 extending upwardly and forwardly thereof and terminating in spherically curved extremities havin horizontally aligning, substantially square openings 39 therethrough. The collector disks 4| positioned between the arms 31 and 38 are formed with square bosses 49 adapted to be fitted into the openings 39. A

spindle 42 extends transversely through the collector disks 4| and is held against rotation by the cotter pin 43 which is inserted through arm 31. The arm'38 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed apertures 44 and 45 having the outer end thereof closed by means of set screws 43. The inner ends of the set screws form seats for the coil spring 41 which bear against the outer face of the collector disk 41 to force the same inwardly in appressed relation to the hub of the wheel 48. The wheel 48 is mounted for rotation on the spindle 42, and of the usual construction, having an annular groove 49 at its periphery to receive the wire ID therein. The springs 41 will exert sufficient tension on the outer face of the collector disk 4| to hold the wheel 48 in appressed relation with the inner faces of the collector rings, thereby assuring a good electrical contact therebetween.

Flexible conductor strips 5|, of copper plait or the like, are secured to the outwardly projecting ends of the bosses and extend to a point subjacent thereof on the arms 31 and 38, and assure a good electrical connection between the wheel 48 and yoke 24. A similar conductor strip 52 has its upper end attached to the knob 26 on I the yoke and its lower end thereof bolted, or

otherwise secured, to the lower flange IQ of the head [6. The strip 52 assures a good electrical connection between the relatively movable parts 24 and Hi.

It is well known to those familiar with the art that mine locomotives are sometimes required to operate in low seams of coal where the ceiling is very low, and the trolley pole is sometimes in a substantially horizontal position. My device is particularly adapted to operate under these unfavorable conditions as well as any other angle which the trolley pole may ordinarily assume. A restricted pivotal. movement is allowed the yoke 24 relative to the pole by virtue of the coil spring 34 which also functions to maintain the wheel 48 in horizontal alignment with wire I on straight sections of the line. The collector disks may be easily and expeditiously removed and replaced by new ones in the event that they be- .come worn and. inefficient.

It is to be understood that the form of my in- Vention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim: 1. In a trolley harp, a yoke having horizontally aligning openings in the forked portion thereof, at least one shank of said fork having a plurality ,of substantially small bores spaced from the opening; collector rings having enlarged head portions disposed between the forks, which head portions overlay the small bores and tubular shank portions extending outwardly through and snugly but slidably received by the openings in the forks; a spindle bridging the forks and with its ends exclusively supported by the shank portions of the collector rings; a wheel mounted for rotation on the said spindle intermediate the enlarged head portions of the collector rings and having hub portions provided with essentially large, flat contact faces which frictionally engage thev said head portions; adjustable plugs screw-threadedly received in the small bores of the yoke; and spring means interposed between the plugs and the collector ring to continually urge the head portions into pressed engagement with the essentially large faces of the hub, said plugs being adjustable to vary the tension on the spring means and to compensate for wear on the said hub and collector rings.

2. In a trolley harp, a yoke having horizontally aligning openings in the forked portion thereof, at least one shank of said fork having a plurality of substantially small bores spaced from the opening; collector rings having enlarged head portions disposed between the forks, which head portions overlay the small bores and tubular shank portions extending outwardly through and snugly but slidably received by the openings in the forks; a spindle bridging the forks and with its ends exclusively supported by the shank portions of the collector rings; means to hold the spindle against rotation; a wheel mounted for rotation on the said spindle intermediate the enlarged head portions of the collector rings and having hub portions provided with essentially large, flat contact faces which frictionally engage the said head portions; adjustable plugs screwthreadedly received in the small bores of the yoke; and spring means interposed between the plugs and the collector ring to continually urge the head portions into pressed engagement with essentially large faces of the hub, said plugs being adjustable to vary the tension on the spring means and to compensate for wear on the said hub and collector rings.

3. In a trolley harp, a yoke having horizontally aligning openings in the forked portion thereof, at least one shank of said fork having a plurality of substantially small bores spaced from the opening; collector rings having enlarged head portions disposed between the forks, which head portions overlay the small bores and tubular shank portions extending outwardly through and snugly but slidably received by the openings in the forks; electrical conductors connected at one end directly to the extending shank portion of the collector rings and at the other end directly to the said yoke; a spindle bridging the forks and with its ends exclusively supported by the shank portions of the collector rings; a wheel mounted for rotation on the said spindle intermediate the enlarged head portions of the collector rings and having hub portions provided with essentially large, fiat contact faces which frictionally engage the said head portions; adjustable plugs screw-threadedly received in the small bores of the yoke; and spring means interposed between the plugs and the collector ring to continually urge the head portions into pressed engagement with the essentially large faces of the hub, said plugs being adjustable to vary the tension on the spring means and to compensate for wear on the said collector rings.

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